Yesterday's Apple event unveiled three iPhones in one go: the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max, with the China-specific models even featuring dual SIM dual standby functionality.
But why are the new iPhones still so expensive!
The so-called 'affordable' iPhone XR, equipped with the same new A12 Bionic chip, still starts at $749 (¥6,499 in China), while the top-end iPhone XS Max goes up to $1,099 (up to ¥12,799 in China).
However, for those of you preparing for the GRE, let's do a quick calculation. One GRE attempt costs ¥1,665, and you can take it up to five times a year. 1,665 × 5 = 8,325—easily the price of a U.S. version iPhone XS Max.
Why pour money into two, three, or even four or five attempts for an exam you could pass in one go? This wasted money doesn't even include TOEFL fees. What's worse, both TOEFL and GRE fees in China have been increasing—how can you afford that!
Ultimately, the reason GRE scores remain elusive comes down to two things: first, procrastination—waiting until the application deadline looms to start preparing; second, not having a proper study plan, leading to chaos during review.
Now, listen closely!
How to Create Your Own GRE Study Plan to Succeed in One Shot and Save Money for an iPhone XS Max?
Step 1: Determine How Much Daily Study Time You Can Devote to GRE Prep
Some can manage full-time, 'off-work' studying; but most can only squeeze out 2–3 hours a day due to classes, assignments, and internships.
The amount of study time directly affects your study plan. So, every student must first figure out how much daily time they can dedicate to GRE prep.
Step 2: Devote One-Third of Your Daily Study Time to Vocabulary
GRE scores are directly proportional to vocabulary mastery. The more thoroughly you know the words, the higher your GRE score will be. Vocabulary building is not an overnight task—it requires consistent, cumulative effort.
Vocabulary memorization also requires repetition. If you just flip through a thick wordbook from start to finish, you'll likely forget most of it. Let's look at a concrete vocabulary plan (based on the 'Kill GRE 3000' word list):
This plan shows that vocabulary review shouldn't be a one-off, linear process. Instead, you need to reinforce memory just when you're about to forget.
It's about frequency of exposure, not time spent on each word. So, briefly glance at each word and repeat often. Also, make use of all fragmented time to memorize words, and try to do it daily.
Recommended vocabulary books: Kill GRE 3000 + High-Frequency GRE Word List
Step 3: Be Targeted, But Don't Go Overboard with Practice Questions
After memorizing vocabulary each day, move on to sentence completion practice.
But note: the number of questions you do ≠ your GRE score.
Many students start their prep with thousands of sentence completion questions, doing 70–80 a day, only to still score below 150. 'Why hasn't my score improved despite doing so many questions?' It's because they mistake quantity for comprehension.
The principle of practice is quality over quantity. Rather than aimlessly grinding through problems, it's better to spend time analyzing the ones you've already done. When doing sentence completions, aim to:
1. Know the meaning of every word.
2. Identify how the correct answer aligns with the text.
3. Understand why the wrong options are wrong.
The same goes for reading: read every sentence smoothly, grasp the logical relationships between them, and figure out whether wrong options are 'contradicting the passage,' 'making irrelevant comparisons,' or 'incorrect comparisons.' After answering, always reflect on why you got something wrong.
The image below shows notes taken by a student in a CheersYou（清柚教育） GRE class. They clearly recorded the logical flow of the entire passage and the corresponding points and errors for each option. In just one month, they went from a complete GRE novice to a pro who scored 152+170 on their first attempt.
Step 4: Identify Your Weaknesses and Conduct Diagnostic In-Depth Review
After studying for a while, you'll discover your weak spots. You might find unfamiliar words, flawed reading logic, or weak math fundamentals.
At this point, you need to adjust your plan to focus more on weaknesses, cycling over several days. Our GRE class also helps students create targeted study plans.
Plan A was for a humanities student who had 4–5 hours a day to study. Since they were just starting, we created a 3-day cycle plan, ensuring each subject was covered daily with balanced time allocation.
Plan B was for a student who could study full-time. During the sprint phase, their plan was divided into morning, afternoon, and evening sessions. Since they were an undergrad in the U.S. with strong reading skills, we shifted more focus to vocabulary and sentence completion. The daily question load wasn't heavy, but each question required thorough analysis.
This student's Verbal score of 162 once again proves that it's never about quantity. So put down some of those problem sets; do fewer questions each day, think more, and focus on mastering each one.
Moreover, GRE test-takers should also understand where to prioritize, depending on their intended graduate program. If applying to STEM/business programs, while ensuring a solid Verbal score, aim for a near-perfect Quant score. For humanities like communications, education, or cultural studies, be sure to achieve higher Verbal and Writing scores.
Many people think the GRE is extremely difficult, but it's not. The GRE tests your perseverance and patience more than anything. The more time you invest, the higher your score. And a well-designed plan makes your prep faster and more efficient.
Ace the GRE in one shot, and use the money you save to buy the latest iPhone. Isn't that perfect?
CheersYou（清柚教育） looks forward to every GRE test-taker's outstanding score!
